I love Bugs. Beetles. V-Dubs. My dad had a 1967 green VW Bug when I was growing up and I remember going to all our doctor’s appointments and sports practices in the little back seat of that car. It had that waffle pattern on the vinyl seats so on hot days with short shorts you we would get the impressions all up our thighs. And it was super hot to the touch when we got in. My dad would tell us it had 2-40 air conditioning whenever we would whine about the heat: two windows down at 40 mph. We weren’t amused.
But my very first car was a 1979 Super Beetle Convertible Triple White. God it was beautiful. It was so cute and I thought I was hot stuff with my first foray into aftermarket parts and accessories. I bought a Sony removable-face CASSETTE player. People: Cassettes. AM. FM. That’s all we had. I drove (mostly I stalled) that little car around the neighborhood and when I decided to go to college in Ohio, the little ‘Vert had to go. So sad. I wish I still had that little car. Especially since I moved back from the frigid Midwest to live in sunny SoCal again.
Continue reading "Love For A Bug: My First Car" »
We received a great comment from a reader on the recent "October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!" blog.
A. Freeman told us she is "the proud owner of a 2008 Pink Warrior Mustang that I bought at Lafayette Ford in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Only a limited number of these cars are being made, part of the money ($250 from each vehicle sold) goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the dealership gives you the utmost in professional sales and service. Ford has a wonderful website for breast cancer as well at www.fordcares.com."
When we followed up with Ms. Freeman, she sent us photos of her car (named Sally, of course!) and told us an amazing story that was so wonderful, we had to share it with everybody. This woman is not just a car fan, but she is one of our new heroes!
Ms. Freeman is a Registered Nurse with her local health department and is also the clinic coordinator for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program and the WISEWOMAN Program. This screening program offers assistance to women in the 250% federal poverty guideline, 50-64 yrs old, with little to no insurance that can't afford mammograms and pap smears. Ms. Freeman has been working with this program for eight years. She says "I'm pretty much a 'pink fanatic' right down to my car."
Continue reading "Woman's Ride: Warrior in Pink Ford Mustang" »
by Diane Perin Hock, as taken from her Going To Pieces blog post. Yesterday was all about cars. Roger, my husband, and I spent
the better part of the day test-driving, which meant actually dealing with car
lot sales people. That's always a risky enterprise. Some are just so hard to
get away from.
But the day was a success. We narrowed the field down to one option, the Acura
MDX, and I'm totally in love with it (in the way women love a car, but not in
that way men love cars.)
I know, it probably doesn't seem glamorous. But when what would really work is
a mini-van, and I simply refuse to drive a minivan (it's a gut reaction thing
to those sliding doors, I think), this is a pretty fancy option (hence the
"primp" thing above!). This is sort of a cross-over between an SUV
and a luxurious station wagon, with a decent third-row seat for when I drive my
quilting friends to bay area quilt shows or haul various kids on field trips. And look at that sunroof! I haven't had a sunroof since I was a footloose,
child-free working woman.
It was an exhausting day. It started when a fairly manic woman at the Mercury
dealership took us out for a test-drive in a Mountaineer (a fancied up
Explorer) and the battery died, leaving us stranded and requiring that someone
else from the dealership come rescue us. Roger and I had a few panicky moments
when we were trapped in the car, waiting for rescue, while the lady took the
opportunity to give us a tour of the vehicle's interior features. Yikes! We
weren't impressed by the car to begin with, and couldn't get out of that
dealership fast enough once we were finally retrieved by another salesperson
(driving a Hyundai, no less).
Then, we came home and I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to my
dear salesmen friends at dealerships within a 150 mile radius. What's a two-hour
drive to pick up the car if you can save $50 per month on the car payment?! By
the time the wheelin' and dealin' was done, I was feeling empowered and
exhausted. Turns out our local dealer was willing to match the best deal, so
I'm headed there today to sign the papers. Gotta get those "end of the
month" papers done to get the best deals, I guess.
But I'm thrilled. Ooh, and I did I mention that this has heated seats in the
front? Highly useful here in California (!), but a thrill nonetheless.
I've put together some tips for car buying for all you ladies out there. When I think about the process, I'd make these recommendations:
1. Test drive different cars and decide what you really like and want before you talk any numbers with any sales person.
Continue reading "Primp My Ride" »
Ask Patty is announcing CarBlabber. It's car reviews for women by women like you! What does your car mean to you? Is your car sexy? Do you love or hate your car? Is your car a fashion statement or a pile of junk? We want to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly about your car.
But before we even talk about what you can DO on CarBlabber, let’s talk about what you can WIN! Ask Patty is offering a lineup of amazing products as prizes to CarBlabber members (and signing up is totally free!). All you have to do is create a profile, review a car and add a photo to your review!
The grand prize is a Harvey’s seat belt bag valued at $224! The Harveys Carriage Large Satchel is so sophisticated and stylish! With enough room to carry your favorite novel, a makeup bag, and all other everyday essentials, this bag is a must have! The Carriage Large Satchel offers a convertible adjustable strap which is 42” when fully extended to make it even more versatile, and the bag comes lined with the Harveys signature material. The bag also comes with a drawstring storage bag and a Harveys Lucky Star key chain! Yowza! All that? Just for writing a review and adding some pictures? You bet your boots!
And that’s not all. We also have 12 – count them, TWELVE – CarMDs to give away too. The CarMD is a vehicle tester that can be used to monitor and maintain the health of your 1996 and newer car, light truck, minivan and/or SUV for the life of your vehicle. The red, yellow and green indicator lights help you instantly diagnose the health of your, your family's, even your neighbor's vehicles. It can help you to examine a used car before you buy, give your vehicle a clean bill of health before a road trip, and pre-“smog” test your car! It can tell you why your check engine light is on or let you get a second opinion on your mechanic’s report. This thing is so useful it’s ridiculous! I have one and have used it many times to help me out!
And it keeps going. We are giving away the Car Care Council’s official 56-page car care guide to the first 200 profiles with car reviews and photos. The guide covers nine major service occasions and 12 component groups of the vehicle, plus service interval recommendations, a maintenance log and much more. It’s the perfect size to fit into your glove box so you could have it with you whenever you need it! It would even fit inside a Harveys bag with your CarMD!
So what are waiting for? Do you want to know what you can do at CarBlabber? *Create a personal car profile *Write car reviews of any car you’ve ever owned or driven or heck, even seen! * Connect with other women who love or hate the same cars as you *Read reviews of cars written by women JUST like you before you buy your next car *Join car clubs online and find other car friends! *Create your own social network by founding a car club of your very own *Rate your cars and comment on others reviews
Why wouldn't you do it?! Ladies, we're talking about a free purse here! Wow!
Go to: www.askpatty.com/carblabber and register now! (It’s 100% free) … go on, do it now…we you know you want to blab about your car!
Related Link: http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/9/emw552890.htm
I
had a meeting at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons hotel recently which is
not my normal hangout. As I pulled into the valet parking in my 2006
Dodge Magnum station wagon, I almost broke my neck as I twisted and
turned to get a good look at the line up of absolutely BEAUTIFUL cars
parked in a neat row along the front driveway. A fully restored
Barrett-Jackson worthy Classic Car Cadillac dazzled in the sunlight, a
Ferrari Testarossa and a Bentley. I was a hopelessly smitten car girl,
eyes drinking in the unexpected mini luxury car show.
I hurriedly grab my favorite black shiny Harvey's Mercedes Seatbelt
Bag off the passenger seat; take the parking ticket from the valet
driver as he asks, "Are you checking in?” I say, "No, I have a meeting
here." He looks at me one eyebrow up with a question mark clearly on
his face as I grabbed my parking ticket and dashed inside to powder my
nose quickly so I could get right back outside to get a photo of that
incredible Vintage Cadillac. I just miss the object of my car girl
affection and only catch a glimpse as the tail lights disappear around
the corner.
Continue reading "Through the Rear View Mirror - A Car Girls' Life and Adventures " »
Ask Patty has just launched CarBlabber and we wanted to feature one of our CarBlabber profiles! Today we are featuring Gigi and her review of her 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport.
Gigi Age: 39 Location: Indianapolis, IN
Gigi is a Driver
I'm a driver. A taxi. A courier. But I like driving, so it's okay. Don't need anything fancy. Just roomy enough to hold kids, their stuff and any things that we pick up along the way. I'm a small woman, so no Sherman Tanks for me thanks. Simple. Comfortable. Clean. That's all I want out of most things...from my house to my cars.
Reviews: 2002 Montero Sport
My car is bone-stock-right-off-the-lot SUV. Now granted I got the LTD edition so I have comfy leather seats, a sunroof, nice stereo blah blah blah. But there has been no mods to it and probably never will be.
Why?
Because I drive it. A LOT. And frankly, beyond upgrading the air filter and pumping premium gas in it, I have no need nor want to get "dubs" or fancy schmancy, because fancy schmancy is expensive to fix.
And though I have kids, I will NEVER get a minivan...no offense to minivan drivers out there. I'm sure they're great, but they can't give one thing that my kids like to do -- and that I love that my kids can do...to roll down the windows and feel the breeze on their faces as we cruise along.
I love my SUV.
Best Feature: Everything's in reach. Worst Feature: 12v Power doesn't stay on when car is off. Longest Trip: California to Indiana Funny fact: I actually USE the 4WD What's in the trunk: SUV. No trunk. But in back...stroller.
Thanks Gigi! Want to blab about your car? Blab About Your Car and Win Prizes!
Go to: www.askpatty.com/carblabber and register now! (It’s 100% free) … go on, do it now…we you know you want to blab about your car!
Continue reading "CarBlabber Featured Profile: Gigi and her 2002 Montero Sport" »
Is your car sexy? What does your car mean to you? Do you love or hate your car? Is your car a fashion statement or a pile of junk? Ask Patty has just launched our new beta version social network for women to blog about their cars. That’s right. We want you to tell us all about your car and any car you’ve ever owned. You can tell us all the good, bad, and the ugly – we want to hear it all on CarBlabber.
And we are launching our CarBlabber Beta version of this ultra special, incredibly fun social network during the BlogHer conference in Chicago for all you lovely and talented blogging women. Register now to become a member of this unique social network about YOUR cars.
So what can you do at CarBlabber? *Create a personal car profile *Write car reviews of any car you’ve ever owned or driven or heck, even seen! * Connect with other women who love or hate the same cars as you *Read reviews of cars written by women JUST like you before you buy your next car *Join car clubs online and find other car friends! *Create your own social network by founding a car club of your very own *Rate your cars and comment on others reviews
Basically it’s about sharing and connecting in ways you can’t do anywhere else. Learn from other women like you what turns them on and turns them off about their cars. And share your own story.
Oh, and did we forget to mention that we will be giving away some goodies to some of you women who create profiles and reviews? Hmmm, well stay tuned to see what rewards you just might earn (check out the picture to the left). And trust us, they’re GOOD.
Go to: www.askpatty.com/carblabber and register now! (It’s 100% free) … go on, do it now…we you know you want to blab about your car!
Continue reading "Where Can I Blab About My Car? CarBlabber on AskPatty.com!" »
By Breanne Boyle - eMarketing Manager - AskPatty.com Cars have somehow always been a part of my life. My grandfather built custom T-bucket hot rods and my father has owned every cool old car imaginable, so from the day I was born I was destined to be around automotive. Even my brother builds cars and works in the industry.
I started out working for Primedia, one of the largest publishers of automotive magazines, where I spent time working on Import Tuner, European Car, Automobile and Motor Trend. I learned an immense amount about cars and aftermarket parts and repairs. And it really deepened my already-ingrained enthusiasm for cars. Working with brands like Motor Trend allowed me opportunities to manage marketing programs and special projects.
Along the way, I discovered Ask Patty. I was working as a freelance writer for the above magazines and wanted to add AskPatty.com to my list. After a few phone calls with Jody DeVere, Ask Patty’s President, I decided I wanted to be more involved with such a great tool for women. So I accepted a position as eMarketing Manager with Ask Patty and here I am!
Besides working for a living with cars, I have had my own experiences with car buying, car repairs, etc. And they haven’t always been easy. My first car was a 1979 VW Beetle convertible. I bought it in high school with babysitting money for roughly $2000. I guess I babysat a lot! My dad and I fixed it up and had it running in enough time for me to sell it and move away to college in Ohio. An old Bug with a cloth top wasn’t going to fare well in the Midwest winters. Instead I bought a used Oldsmobile 'boat of a car' and took that back with me.
Above right is my current ride 'Sapphire', an Acura RSX Type -S. Read more about why I bought her.
Continue reading "Meet Breanne and Sapphire!" »
by Pamela Poole Betsy got a Jeep. It was brand new and teal, but only two-wheel drive and no CD player because they couldn’t afford more. It was her first new car, the one she knew would hold car seats and tricycles and crushed Cheerios and sticky juice boxes. They got it after the wedding. When Betsy was 16, she wrote in her in her diary “I am going to marry K— D—” but he married someone else. It had been years, and she was around 30, when she saw him at another wedding and he was just divorced and destroyed and she set about making her prediction come true.
Betsy was pretty, but not beautiful. She was not complex, but she could make you laugh, and you just loved her. The perfect salve for his broken heart. Betsy was a manicurist, so she spent her college money on the wedding, and that was OK. Everybody knew that all Betsy wanted was to be his wife and a mommy and that was fine because it's not that often that you get to see people’s dreams come true. She got the man and, later, two little girls to put in her Jeep. The little girls grew and he got a sports car and she got a minivan for bigger girls and bicycles and friends. She couldn’t part with her Jeep, so it sat there for a couple of years, a yellow and blue fish, preschool art, hanging from the rearview on fuzzy red yarn, and fading slowly.
Betsy’s girls were four and six and she had a lump and then she was gone, just like that. And Betsy’s Jeep was there and he was there and he didn’t need three cars and he couldn’t function. So I asked if I could buy her Jeep, to help him with the funeral, so he wouldn’t have to worry about it, so it would stay in the family. And just to have Betsy’s Jeep because of what it meant to her and what she meant to me. I took down the fish because the little girls wanted it and it made them happy that they’d still see Mommy’s Jeep when I visited.
People would say it was old, and I would say it was Betsy’s Jeep. And they would say it’s not environmentally correct, and I would say it was Betsy’s Jeep. And I put my big dog in it and huge bags of potting soil and stuff I got at the Goodwill.
Betsy was my sister-in-law.
Continue reading "Betsy's Jeep" »
At the recent AskPatty.com Caffeine and Cars event on Motorati, we had a great showing of car enthusiasts. After chatting about favorite cars we discovered we all had a mutual adoration for the now-defunct Mazda RX-7! Who knew! Well, some of our pals pulled out some high prim cars and the impromptu car show started! Amanda Shinji of Parkade, Patty Streeter, Breanne Beck, Mug Wildung from Campfire, Sennaspirit Coronet of Voxant.com and many others were all there!
See what else Ask Patty is up to in Motorati!

Ask Patty's Caffeine and Cars started out with a great turnout of both guys and gals!
Amanda Shinji of Parkade brought out her xBeast and boy, she wasn't kidding!
Amanda Shinji wasn't through! She pulled out this little buggie made from a Pontiac Solstice!
Continue reading "Ask Patty Second Life Venue Gets Car Crazy!" »
Feast your eyes upon this 2007 Hyundai Tiburon custom-designed and covered in acrylic paint by revered New York Artist Billy! The artist was commissioned by Hyundai to paint their new 2007 Tiburon for the National Hyundai Dealer Show, and this is the fruit of his labor.
In case you're curious about his procedure for painting the cars, he starts by wet sanding the car to buff it a bit and then he uses an enamel-based acrylic paint. After he completed the painting, Hyundai coated the Tiburon with varnish. According to Billy, "i sketched out the design with a black sharpie-pretty risky because you can't make any mistakes-had a blast painting it."
"Create your own reality" is the mantra that Billy lives by, and apparently the reality he's created is quite successful. This self-taught East Village artist has been showcased at the prestigious Forbes Gallery as part of the Living Masters of Comic and Cartoon Art Exhibit and will be making special appearances at the 2007 New York Auto Show on Saturday April 7 and Saturday April 14 from 3-8, creating live designs for the public as well as talking and meeting with them.
Painting with an instinct he calls "Urban Primitive," Billy captures the energy and power of the city around him in a kaleidoscope of colorful and puzzle-like images that get in your face and let you see the diversity and joy of the human spirit, relationships, friendships, and the simple smile of a child. Much more information and many more additional images representing Billy's broad portfolio can be found at his billyartnyc.com website.
Continue reading "Hyundai Tiburon as art form" »
What's in a name? According to James Fussell of The Kansas City Star, there is definitely something. The last time you wanted to clean your carpet, it’s a good bet you didn’t say, “Honey, I need to vacuum. Would you pull Sucky out of the closet for me?”
We don’t name our vacuum cleaners. But cars are different.
While some of us view them as simply a means from here to there, others imbue them with feelings, moods and personalities. That’s why they talk about them. That’s why they talk to them. That’s why they give them names.
We thought it might be fun to share a few of those names
with you. But first a little background. A survey by Yahoo Autos found
that more than half of us — 51 percent — give our cars a pet name, with
the large majority of those names being female.
Fussel continues that TV and movies have given us several famously named cars, including Herbie, Kitt, the General Lee and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There’s a Web site for drivers who name their cars, too. At carbirths.com you can register your car’s name and store other pertinent details, such as pictures and a birth date. Or you can just look at the names and pictures of other people’s cars.
But surely half of all drivers don’t name their cars, do they? Curious, we asked 50 people if they’ve ever named a car.
Thirty-one of them — a healthy 62 percent — either had names for their present cars or ones in the past. Take Sareah Brown, a 22-year-old assistant dairy manager at a Kansas City grocery store. Brown named his ’98 Buick Park Avenue “Lucille.”
Why? “I don’t know,” he said. “Just seemed to fit.”
Continue reading "Hey There, What's Your Name?" »
Our friend Melissa over at Motor Trend recently returned from a road trip with her Mini Cooper. Melissa (also known by her friends as "WickedGolf") traveled to this year's "Mini Vacation in Vegas" with her Cooper (also known as "Scrappy") and recounts her exploits with enthusiastic prose and oodles of photos.
I've had the great pleasure being able to borrow Melissa's Cooper now and again, and my four-year-old son now refers to every Cooper he sees as a "Scrappy." What's not to love about these adorable vehicles?
Melissa says "I don't want to sound all gushy and sentimental but with every photo I come across, I can't help but smile as I remember that moment in time where family, friends, and Mini Coopers came together for four days of motoring fun." Well, if you want to share in the gushy sentimental experience, you can read her online journal of AMVIV4 and view dozens of photos detailing the fun and camaraderie of her exploits.
Continue reading "On the Road on a Mini Vacation in Vegas" »
What to the notorious women of Wisteria Lane drive around? We don't even mean in real life, people. The cars that fill the favorite TV show are actually chronicled on a cool site we found called the Internet Movie Cars Database.
So what do those devilish ladies drive around on set? Well there seem to be a lot of BMWs, but there is also fair share of the Buicks, Chevys, Caddies, and an Aston Martin or two. And for those hunky construction workers/gardeners/electricians they always seem to get tangled up with? They tend to stick to the Ford truck family. Interesting.
Find even more movie and TV show-worthy cars and trucks on the Internet Movie Cars Database. Who knew!
Firestone Complete Auto Care Partners with Girl Scouts to teach them how to be safe drivers when they’re out delivering those cookies
Not sure whether you’ve gotten your cookies yet, as the official on-sale date varies depending on where you’re located across the country, but as I sit here dipping Thin Mints into a glass of milk, I want to share some additional information about another Girl Scout program more relevant to our subject matter.
Girl Scouts of the USA is involved in a partnership with Firestone’s Complete Auto Care, which has lead to the development of “On the Road,” a program that encourages girls to be competent, smart and safe drivers.
Continue reading "Girl Scouts, Cookies, and Cars" »
by Breanne Boyle If you have been following our blog, you might remember my first post on Ask Patty about past experiences servicing my cars. Well, I wanted to tell you all about my car buying experience. I figure if I am going to ask all of you women out there to submit your stories to me then I might as well submit my own!
I wanted a new a car for a while, and I mean I shopped for over a year until I knew exactly what I wanted. I test drove the top three picks (all quite different: Mazda Mazdaspeed MX-5, Mazda RX-8 and the Acura RSX-S). And to tell you the truth, until I test drove them I was almost certain which one I would pick (the RX-8; it’s super sexy and fun!), but once I was in the car I changed my mind. There were things I just really liked about the Acura when I was in it: the hatchback functionality, the 50/50 split folding rear seat (even MORE room), the cockpit that faced the driver, and the super comfy seats.
The Mazda salesman tried to convince me I was completely wrong about the Acura. The guy said to me, “But the RX-8 has a rotary engine and 50/50 weight distribution. It’s got great performance.” True it was tons of fun to drive, but the blind spot was awful and I wanted to be able to put more stuff in the trunk; the Mazda had a ski-pole sized hole from the back seat to the trunk space. I can’t fit my dog’s stuff in there. That was a problem. So I bought my new 2005 Acura on December 3, 2004 (she's almost 2) and it has been a beautiful relationship because I stuck to my guns and didn't settle!
Anyway, I am happy about the car I have and I adore driving it around. And it is so easy to park! Bonus! I still want to hear about your stories so be sure to send it to me at Breanne@askpatty.com.
By Breanne Boyle - eMarketing Manager - AskPatty.com
Cars have somehow always been a part of my life. My grandfather built custom T-bucket hot rods and my father has owned every cool old car imaginable, so from the day I was born I was destined to be around automotive. Even my brother builds cars and works in the industry.
I started out working for Primedia, one of the largest publishers of automotive magazines, where I spent time working on Import Tuner, European Car, Automobile and Motor Trend. I learned an immense amount about cars and aftermarket parts and repairs. And it really deepened my already-ingrained enthusiasm for cars. Working with brands like Motor Trend allowed me opportunities to manage marketing programs and special projects.
Along the way, I discovered Ask Patty. I was working as a freelance writer for the above magazines and wanted to add AskPatty.com to my list. After a few phone calls with Jody DeVere, Ask Patty’s President, I decided I wanted to be more involved with such a great tool for women. So I accepted a position as eMarketing Manager with Ask Patty and here I am!
Besides working for a living with cars, I have had my own experiences with car buying, car repairs, etc. And they haven’t always been easy. My first car was a 1979 VW Beetle convertible. I bought it in high school with babysitting money for roughly $2000. I guess I babysat a lot! My dad and I fixed it up and had it running in enough time for me to sell it and move away to college in Ohio. An old Bug with a cloth top wasn’t going to fare well in the Midwest winters. Instead I bought a used Oldsmobile 'boat of a car' and took that back with me.
 Here is my current ride 'Sapphire', an Acura RSX Type -S.
Continue reading "Meet Breanne and Sapphire!" »
Ask Patty invites the ladies to send a picture of your "style'n" ride ( please include 'YOU" in the photo) and a short bio that will be posted here on the:
Ask Patty -- "Women Blogger's Auto Show"
Send jpg,gif or PDF to jdevere@askpatty.com
To start the fun here is Becca's NASCAR ride! BRmmmmmmmmmm BRmmmmmmmmm start your engines LADIES and gentleman!

Go here to read Becca's bio and more about her NASCAR country music style:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=51476709
For information on BECCA and Nari Records, contact
Marsha Newell
Nari Records Director Of Marketing & Promotion Telephone: (818) 366-3736 Fax: (818) 832-6608 Email: narirecords@aol.com
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